(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reservation server, a user terminal, a reservation system and a reservation method, suitable for use in, for example, ticket purchase/reservation at movie theaters, recreation grounds or the like having a window for customers, such as ticket or box office, or in service reservation at restaurants.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In general, when getting a ticket for a movie theater, theater, recreation ground, transportation means or the like, a user stands in a queue in front of a ticket office in order to purchase it directly, or reserves it through telephone or Internet. Furthermore, the user purchases, for example, a ticket for a movie theater, he/she desires, through an operator (ticket seller) or a ticket issuing machine at a window for customers (user window; sometimes, which will hereinafter be referred to simply as a “window”), or purchases a railroad ticket or an airline ticket.
In addition, a user frequently makes reservation through remote access means such as telephone or Internet (which will sometimes be referred to hereinafter as “reservation made through remote access means”). For example, the telephone reservation has come into widespread use for concert tickets, sports tickets, seats in restaurants and others.
An operator has access to a server for managing ticket reservation in order to size up the ticket issuing situation of a terminal or a ticket issuing machine, thereby accomplishing services to users.
For the telephone reservation, a host server is designed to reserve and issue a ticket desired (demanded) by a user, through a remote user terminal or line.
At this time, as well known, a line of people is made in front of a window, or a queue is made for use of a ticket issuing machine or on reservation calls by a remote access means. This queue usually happens not only at a ticket office but also at various places such as a cash register, a window of a bank and a cash dispenser.
However, in order to purchase of a ticket or reservation thereon, users must queue up at a window and face an operator on a one-to-one basis. In addition, when using an attraction (big wheel, roller coaster, or the like) in a recreation ground or receiving a service such as buying bargain goods which may requires users to wait in a queue, a user is almost forced to go directly to the attraction spot and stand in a queue at a window therefor.
For these reasons, with a conventional reservation system, a user is confronted with the following problems (1-1) to (1-5) while a store with the following problems (2-1) to (2-5).
(1-1) While the user stands in a queue, limitation is imposed on his/her activities. That is, the user cannot leave that place in the meantime. For example, when restrained for thirty minutes, the user cannot do anything in the meantime.
(1-2) Although the user can estimate the degree of jam to some extent, the user cannot decide if he/she will be able to receive a service (reservation-needed service) For example, the user cannot check whether the tickets for a movie are sold out or not.
(1-3) Reservation to be made through a remote access means requires access to a server. Accordingly, the server does not give a chance for reservation to the user.
(1-4) With the reservation to be made through a remote access means, even if the user receives other service information or advertisement from a server when making reservation, the user cannot seize whether or not they are acceptable in view of distance or time to be taken. In addition, such service information on a distance-wise or time-wise impracticality is useless to the user in view of time, communication change or the like.
(1-5) When reservation cannot be made because of sold-out, the user needs to search another service by himself or herself (which sometimes will be referred to hereinafter as an “alternative service”) substituting for the sold-out reservation, the user wants.
On the other hand, a store will be confronted with the following problems.
(2-1) The store must place a predetermined number of operators at all times, or prepare change or ticket paper in a ticket issuing machine.
(2-2) The store needs to count the number of users or the length of a queue made for purchase of, for example, popular goods in front of a window before the business hour, and if there is a possibility that the store cannot offer the service to the users, the store needs to inform the users of this situation.
(2-3) The store needs to conduct a window service quickly when a large number of users are waiting. Accordingly, for example, the store cannot offer a service other than reservation to users while keeping the users waiting.
(2-4) The store cannot select only the users existing in the neighborhood, i.e., in a store's service available range to transmit a service information to the selected users.
(2-5) When a user makes a reservation through a remote access means, the store does not know where the user is at the moment the reservation is made. Accordingly, it is impossible for the store to notify the user of other services (or service information) available near the place where the user is. Even if the store should notify the user of other services information, it is impossible for the store to know whether or not the notified services are really available for the user. Therefore, the frequency which the user actually uses the notified service information remains low.